The "City of Life" lives by night: most hot in-town venues
don't even get going until midnight, and the pace at night is more frantic
than by day. Enterprising Sinophiles can try to get invited along to a
local karaoke evening and warble into a mike over buckets of beer to Cantonese
pop videos. Others seeking ex-pat drinking at its most intense should
head for Lan Kwai Fong, a tiny area of Central with a vast concentration
of bars and restaurants. Soho ("South of Hollywood Road") is
a slightly more chic and relaxed concentration of leisure spots just off
the Mid-Levels escalator. Chinese locals tend to favour Tsim Sha Tsui,
riddled with bars and clubs. And anyone seeking such things will be pleased
to hear that they can get all the action they want in the girlie bars
and joints of Wan Chai, destination of many a poor Filipina or Thai peasant
maiden. Despite the ludicrously strict noise restrictions on open-air
events, proof that well-connected residents can swing huge clout with
city hall, live music is also hugely popular and well catered for. Check
the free listings in BC Magazine and HK Magazine for the latest details,
as well as `for updates on raves, which average at least one per weekend.

Bars: Escalator riders can rub elbows congenially with
prominent ex-pats and a good few Hong Kongers in the friendly wood-and-marble
bar The Bayou, 9-13 Shelley Street. Margarita addicts should try Coyote,
114-120 Lockhart Road, in Wan Chai; nearby, the Horse and Groom, 161 Lockhart
Road, gets a solid Cantonese drinking crowd despite its cod Brit fittings.
Definitely the most popular venue in Lan Kwai Fong, Insomnia, 38-44 D'Aguilar
Street, creates an air of quality with its stonework and Florentine-style
loggia, then promptly contradicts it with Filipina girl bands and relentless
disco. Post97, 9 Lan Kwai Fong, is comfortable and serene after the madness
outside. Over in Kowloon, Rick's Café, 4 Hart Avenue, has some
of the longest queues on Saturday night, which must count for something.

Casinos: Hong Kong does not have any casionos; instead
they are all a 50-minute jetfoil ride away in Macau, which is famous as
a gambler's paradise. Jetfoils run all night just to service the Chinese
love of gambling. Macau boasts nine casinos in all, with dress code ranging
from smart casual to formal; passports should always be carried. The best
casinos include the Hotel Lisboa and Casino, 2-4 Avenida de Lisboa, Macao
City, the Mandarin Oriental Macao, 956-1110 Avenida da Amizade, Macao
City, and the Hyatt Regency and Taipa Island Resort, 2 Estrat Almirante
Amrquesa, Taipa Island.

Clubs: Hong Kong clubs are almost invariably cramped,
but the DJ action can be world class. For constantly changing multi-storey
action in Central, fall through a hole in the wall and shoot up in the
lift for CE Top, 37-43 Cochrane Street; check the flyers in the hall for
the night's theme on each level. The faint of heart should avoid Joe Bananas,
23 Luard Road, pick-up joint par excellence and venue for cheesy model
nights, where leggy Suzie Wongs stalk fat cats in three-piece suits. Vying
for the "So unhip it hurts" crown are Club 97, 9 Lan Kwai Fong,
and Red Rock, 57-59 Wyndham Street. Star East, G/F, Bank of America Tower,
12 Harcourt Road, is Central's current favourite trance/progressive house
zone. Ing, 4f, Renaissance Harbour View, 1 Harbour Road, is a slightly
classier, duller version for Cantonese teenyboppers.

Live music: What passes for stadium rock in Hong Kong is usually found
at HITEC or the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, 1 Expo Drive.
Filipina live bands from brilliant to unbearable swarm across Hong Kong
Dusk Till Dawn, 76 Jaffe Road, has some of the best, while its strongest
nearby competitor is The Wanch, 54 Jaffe Road. The Jazz Club, 34-36 D'Aguilar
Street, plays far more than just that.

Lang Kwai Fong (HK Island)

Description:
Lang Kwai Fong on HK Island is a big night spot area especially with businessman
and Expat. There are many bars, cafes, delis, bistros and restaurants
to choose from. Try Mad Dogs Century Square, 1 D'Aguilar St, or Dublin
Jack, Cochrane St, Central. The California Tower building has many restaurants,
cafes and clubs (D'Aguilar St, Lang Kwai Fong).

In the summer months, drinkers spill out into the narrow lanes to enjoy
the balmy evenings in Lang Kwai Fong. Quieter during the week.

Address:
Hong Kong Island

Directions:
Lang Kwai Fong is located in Central on Hong Kong Island. You can take
the MTR to Central station and then take the Queens Road exit. From there
walk straight up Anguilar St into Lang Kwai Fong.

Lan Kwai Fong

Type:
Eating and Drinking

Description:
Lan Kwai Fong, a tiny area of Central with relaxed drinking hours and
a vast concentration of bars and restaurants are the main hideout for
many expats.

Description:
Lan Kwai Fong (Central) - the most popular place for drinking and dining
with a vibrant mixture of different cultures.
LKF is not merely a place for pubs and discos. It boasts such a range
of cuisine: from Italian to Mediterranean; from Japanese to Thai and of
course Chinese. The cobbled streets around LKF burst into life after dark.
Prices can comparatively high in this area.

Dress Code: Casual Chic.

Directions:
By MTR - 5 mins walk from Central MTR Station

Lan Kwai Fong

Nightlife Spot: C Club

Type: Nightclub

Description:
Located in the centre of Lan Kwai Fong, C Club plays "Sexy house”
which is the signature style of music. There will also be variations of
music ranging from R&B to Soul to Latino throughout the week with
the occasional live bands and singers. A state-of-the-art music system
and retro-feel dance floor lighting completes the experience.

Address: Basement, California Tower, 30-32

The Klong

Nightlife Spot: Night Clubs

Type: Nightclub

Description:
Hey, this is my new hangout place! Kloong is a new Thai resturant cum
bar & disco opened Nov/2002. Ground floor serving Thai food, upstairs
bars & dance floor with very Thai decorations. I like the chill out
area which decorated same as Thailand's bungalow resorts.

Wine & house pours are good. I don't like the way they mix their
cocktails, cannot imagine drinking bitter taste leechee. I dunno if they
have change a DJ, the one now playing is good, he know how to move the
crowd, mostly Euro Pop and with a little mix of Techno. Dance floor is
small with equip with good lighting and sound system, nobody dancing until
after 11:30pm. Occationally, they will have table dancers performance,
there was a sexy t-back male dancer last nite! All girls in the club went
crazy! (^0^)